Container and dispenser for strip material



Nov. 13, 1951 c. s. HOUGH ETAL CONTAINER AND DISPENSER FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed March 5,l 1949 Patented Nov. 13,` 1951 IITJED TEN T FICE CONTAINER AND DISPENSER FDR STRIP MATERIAL ApplicationMarch 5, 1949;'Serial No. 79,836

` `This invention relates to a` container: and:` dispenserandinore-4 particularly tol a containeriand dispenser for stripVv material or-la continuousrfstrip v"of interconnected flatr tube J'type 1 packages containing" small articles.

' *It has recentlyV been found to beadvantageous 'tojpackage certain types of Earticlesfsuch as :shot for air rifles or thelike, in an elongated relatively 'flat' tube typev4 of package or `strip v.which is ""divided' into* individual' pockets-spaced from` each other lengthwise of the tube or strip, suchias "shownfinthe copending Apatent application of "Cass-S. YI-I'ough `and-Robert O. Wesley for Im- *proveinents in'Packaging for Shot andcM-etho'd VfMaking the `Same, Serial No. 45,678, filed Au- I gust 23, 1948,now abandoned. l-Whilethisiflat tub'e'type of package orstr'iphas .manyV advantages,it"has been'found necessary to devise a container and dispenser-in I'which va relatively 'long "continuous strip, in `which the` individual pockets are` lledvvithfshot, may be shipped. Vand 'from which the individual pockets -or-strip portions containing shotmay-be conveniently and easily dispensed. l"For*'exar-riple, -When Yair rie "shot is packaged in the Jaforementioned .manner "the retail 'merchant Who iseselling the shot xin `small'quantities may desire to `detach only one =or twolpocketsof shot -at Vone timeifrom the strip, lmdif'a convenient'means of containing and dispensing th'e'strip'were not provided, thiswmanner :'ofpackagingy shotwould not be convenientor practical.

"Itis, therefore, anv object -of this invention to provide a novel container and dispenserl .forstrip -VInaterialorpackages of the Iaforementioned type 'tinuous strip of the aforementioned' type is re- 1 U ver'selyi 4folded upon- 'itself within the container-a A*plurality ofl timesl in yorderto-'provicle linielectfa g `stack'of 'horizontally disposed' Aand interconnected stripportions` and Which'a'removable fillerarid "*dispensing' element is V4providedytovv compact'- the Cil stack of horizontally disposed strip portions in 'the container,l so 'as topreventrelative shifting movement between-such portions during transport iand shipment, Yand to, when slidably :removed from vthe container, Withdraw. one end of thestrip 'from the containenwhereby thestrip may be disrpensed from the container by pnl-lling the exteriorly disposed-strip.;portions, so that anydesired -number of `pocketsor strip portions can beldetachedfrom the strip, Whilethe bulk ofthe strip remains in the container.

y"It is af-still further object of this invention to provide in a container, a removable dispensing and Viiller element ofthe aforementioned type, which is removably connected-With the upper portion of the continuous strip in such a Imanner that the compacted upper strip portion. canbe lwithdrawn from the container without tearing or breaking the continuous fstrip, which breaking would 'render thefdispensing of thestrip inconlvenient and diflicult.

iIt is-a still further object of this inventionto Iprovide-a neat, attractivecentainer and dispenser Vwhich can be displayed by a retail merchant in Ahis place of business.

These and other objects of this invention will 'become apparent from the following detailed de- Iscr-iption, .taken in conjunction With the accom- :panying drawings, in which:

'Figure'.l isza perspective view of the container yand dispenser .of this invention: in its fully closed 'and sealed position;

"Fig. 42` is a perspective view similar to Fig.` 1, fwithlthej fillerand dispensing element .partly refmoved from the container;

Fig.` 3 isa perspective view similar to Fig. V2, :with the ller and dispensing element completely `removed from `the containerso that the upper lportion of a continuous-strip is disposed exteriorly of the container;

-Fig.=4` is an enlarged, fragmentary,sectional V-fvietvof-the'structure illustrated in Fig. l, taken alongthe line 4-4 thereof;

'2Fig.5 is an enlargedsectional viewvof the strucftureillustratedlin Fig. 1,V taken alongtheli-ne 5-15 thereof;

Fig. 16 `is an enlarged fragmentary sectional "vieW-of they structure illustrated Fig. 2, taken along the Aline 6-6 thereof; and

--Fig. '7 isan enlarged,fragmentary sectional '-view ofi the structure illustrated in vFig.3, taken along the' line 'l-"Tlthereo While-a container of any suitable material, size, shape or construction may be employed to llform Athe *device 5of this invention, raf cardboard container 9 is illustrated in the drawings, which is of a rectangular shape and comprises an inner, folded, rectangular shaped cardboard Structure or portion having an open ended rectangular shaped cardboard portion I3 sleeved thereover, so as to provide a completed container structure which is easy to assemble and especially rugged in construction. The complete container 9 thus has a top wall I5, bottom wall I1, side Walls I9, front end wall 2| and rear end wall 23. front end wall 2| is provided with a rectangular opening adjacent the upper end thereof.

In the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawing, a continuous, elongated, relatively flat tube type package or strip 21', which is divided into individual, detachably connected pockets 29, spaced from each other lengthwise of the strip, is disposed in the container. The strip 21, illustrated, is made of transparent plastic and each of the pockets 23 contains a plurality of air s riiie shot 3| as illustrated and described in detail in the aforementioned copending patent application. The continuous strip 2'! is loaded into the container 9 by being reversely folded upon itself a plurality of times to provide in effect a stack of horizontally disposed and interconnected strip portions 33. The opposite ends of each strip portion 33 substantially abut the front and rear walls 2| and 23 of the container and the continuous strip is cut off so that the upper free end thereof 35 is disposed adjacent the top wall l5 of the container, as will be hereinafter described.

lA sheet cardboard filler and dispensing element 31 is removably positioned in the upper portion of the container S behind the front wall opening 25, in a manner that will be hereinafter described, so as to compact the stack of horizontally disposed strip portions 33 and prevent shifting of the strip 21 or the shot 3| in each of the pockets, which would tend to cause the pockets to separate from each other, or tend to cause the shot to break through the wall of the pocket, and to provide a convenient manner for dispensing the pockets of shot either one at a time or several at a time.

While the ller and dispensing element may be formed in various ways7 and may be of various thicknesses and sizes, preferably the cardboard element 3'! comprises an upper or rst horizontal portion 39, which when the element 31 is positioned in the container, abuts the under side of the container top wall l5. rIhe upper horizontal portion 39 is reversely bent adjacent its rear end to provide a second horizontal portion di, which extends below the first horizontal portion 39, in spaced relation thereto, and the free end of which terminates adjacent to, but rearwardly of, the forward end of the portion 39. The forward end of the upper Yhorizontal portion 39 is bent downwardly to provide a short vertically extending portion 43, which when the element 31 is fully inserted into the container, will substantially nt into and close the container front wall opening 25. The lower end of the vertical portion i3 is return bent so as to provide a third substantially horizontal portion of the element 31. It will be noted that the forward end of the portion #i5 is upwardly inclined at 41, so as to permit the forward end of the element 3'! to be easily grasped by the fingers of a user to facilitate the withdrawal of the element 31 from the container through the opening When the container is being assembled and The g packed the upper portion of the strip 21 is removably connected with the cardboard element 3'! so that when the element is slidably withdrawn from the container the upper portion of the strip 2'! will likewise be withdrawn. This is accomplished in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein the upper portion of the strip 2'! is reversely bent around the rear end of the horizontal portion 45 of the element 31, extended forwardly between the horizontal portions 45 and 4|, reversely bent around the forward end of the intermediate horizontal portion 4|, extended between the horizontal portions 4| and 39, so that the free end 35 thereof is disposed adjacent the rear end of the space between the element horizontal portions 39 and 3|. The upper portion of the strip 21 is thus frictionally and detachably connected with the element 31 for dispensing purposes. When the container is completely assembled with the element 31 therein, as illustrated in Fig. d, the horizontal portions 33 of the strip will be compacted in the container so as to prevent any shifting or relative movement of the portions 0f the strip, and the upper portion of the strip is detachably connected with the element 31 for dispensing purposes. If desired, a piece of tape or other suitable material 5I can be secured over a portion of the container top wall l5 and the front wall 2|, so as to prevent any accidental displacement of the element 3'!.

It should at this time be noted that while the element 31 may be shaped and constructed in a somewhat different manner than illustrated in the drawing, the manner of construction illustrated in the drawing is preferred, as it compacts the horizontal strip portions far enough below the top wall of the container to permit each pocket 29 to turn on itself when being withdrawn from the container, either with the element 31, or after the element 3'! has been removed, as illustrated in Fig. '1, without abutting the upper wall of the container so as to cause bending or breakage thereof.

After the container has been shipped to, for example, a retail merchant who desires to dispense the shot in the strip like package, the merchant can remove the tape 5| and grasp the front portion of the element 31 and sildably withdraw the element from the container through the opening 25. It will be apparent, as can be clearly seen in Fig. 6, that the withdrawal of the element 31 will cause the withdrawal of the upper portion of the strip 21, which is detachably connected therewith. It should also be pointed out that as the element 31 is being withdrawn from the container, so as to Withdraw the upper portion of the strip, the pulling load will be distributed along the entire portion of the strip 21 which is compressed between the horizontal element portions 3S! and 4|, and 4| and 45, so as to prevent the concentration of the pullingv load at any one point, which might cause the strip to break and make the dispensing thereof difficult or at least inconvenient.

When the element 3'! has been fully withdrawn from the container 9, the upper portions of the strip 21 which were detachably connected therewith can be easily removed therefrom by merely sliding them out of engagement with the horizontal portions of the element. The element 31 may then be discarded and the retail merchant or other persons who desire to dispense the air rie shot in the individual pockets, can tear off the pockets one at a time or any desired number at a time. As more shot is needed the user can pull the upper strip portion, which is disposed exteriorly of the container, outwardly so as to always have at least one pocket disposed exteriorly of the container for dispensing. It will thus be appreciated that the strip 21 can be withdrawn through the container opening 25 by a simple pulling action and that the bulk of the strip 2'! will be disposed in the container with only the necessary small portion disposed exteriorly of the container. Thus, the user has no difliculty in dispensing the pockets filled with shot or any other suitable article, and an attractive and convenient dispensing device is provided which the retail merchant can display at or near his selling counters, without any fear of the strip like package becoming broken, and the shot spilling out of its pockets.

The device of this invention thus provides an efficient container for shipping and transporting shot packaged in strip or iiat tube type packages and provides an attractive and simple means for conveniently dispensing the articles packaged in the strip.

What is claimed is:

l. A container and dispenser including top, bottom, side and end walls, one of said end walls having an opening therein adjacent said top wall, an element normally disposed in said container behind said opening, said element including a substantially horizontal portion extending adjacent to said top wall and reversely folded intermediate its ends so as to provide a second horizontal portion which extends there-below, a vertical portion extending downwardly from the outer end of said first horizontal portion and adapted to fit into and normally substantially close said end wall opening and having its lower end folded inwardly so as to form a third horizontal portion extending into said container below said rst two horizontal portions, whereby said vertical portion may be grasped and pulled outwardly so as to slidably withdraw said element from said container.

2. In combination a container and dispenser including top, bottom, side and end walls, one of said end walls having an opening therein adjacent said top wall, aA continuous strip of material reversely folded upon itself a plurality of times to provide in eiect a stack of horizontal strip portions disposed in said container, a sheet filler and dispensing element disposed in and behind said container end wall opening, said element including a substantially horizontal portion extending adjacent to said top wall and reversely folded intermediate the ends thereof to provide a second horizontal portion extending there-below, a vertical portion extending downwardly from the outer end of said first horizontal portion and adapted to t in and normally substantially close said end wall opening and having its lower end folded inwardly so as to provide a horizontal portion extending into said container below said rst two horizontal portions, the upper portion of said strip being reversely bent around the rear end of said third horizontal portion, extending between said second and third portions, reversely bent around the forward end of said second portion, extending between said second and rst portions, with the free upper end of said strip disposed between said rst and second portions so that said ller and dispensing element frictionally and detachably engages said strip, whereby the vertical portion of said element may be grasped and pulled outwardly relative to said container so as to slidably withdraw said element and the upper free end of said strip therefrom.

3. In combination a container' and dispenser including top, bottom, side and end walls, one of said end walls having an opening therein adjacent said top wall, a continuous strip of material reversely folded upon itself a plurality of times to provide in effect a stack of horizontal strip portions disposed in said container, a sheet iiller and dispensing element disposed in and behind said container and wall opening, said element including a substantially horizontal portion extending adjacent to said top wall and reversely folded intermediate the ends thereof to provide a second horizontal portion extending there-below, a vertical portion extending downwardly from the outer end of said first horizontal portion and adapted to fit in and normally substantially close said end wall opening and having its lower end folded inwardly so as to provide a horizontal portion extending into said container below said first two horizontal portions, the upper portion of said strip being reversely bent around the rear end of said third horizontal portion, extending between said second and third portions, reversely bent around the forward end of said second portion, extending between said second and rst portions, with the free upper end of said strip disposed between said iirst and second portions, said element being of such a thickness as to compact said strip in said container so as to normally prevent relative shifting movement between said strip portions and said strip and container, and so as to compact the upper strip portions far enough below the top wall of said container that the portions of said strip will not heavily engage said top wall when being withdrawn from said container, and so that said filler and dispensing element frictionally and detachably engages said strip, whereby the vertical portion of said element may be grasped and pulled outwardly relative to said container so as to slidably withdraw said element and the upper free end of said strip therefrom.

CASS S. HOUGH. ROBERT O. WESLEY. CIRO R. SCALINGI. LEE B. GAEKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,952,382 MacGregor Mar. 27, 1934 2,269,039 Ross Jan. 6, 1942 

